Stephen Carr has explained why Birmingham don’t have a Wrexham-style documentary, while talking up the transfer benefits of having Tom Brady on board.
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NFL legend one of the investors at St Andrew'sHelping to raise Blues' profile in the United StatesYet to follow the lead of Hollywood stars in WalesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?
The Blues are among the English Football League outfits to have welcomed investment from North America, with NFL legend Brady sitting on their board alongside Tom Wagner and the Knighthead ownership group. Their presence at St Andrew’s has helped to raise the club’s profile in the United States.
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League One rivals Wrexham have enjoyed a similar boost to their mass appeal, courtesy of Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, with the Red Dragons using a fly-on-the-wall series to open up a window to the world – with many other clubs and prominent figures in football deciding to follow that lead.
Getty/GOALWHAT STEPHEN CARR SAID
Birmingham have resisted any urge to copy said trend, with former Blues captain Carr – speaking in association with – telling GOAL when asked if they have missed a trick: “Maybe if it wasn’t in League One, no disrespect to the division. I think all of that comes with being successful on the pitch and bringing it in at the right level. The documentaries bring a lot of exposure to clubs and puts them out there on the map. But the most important thing is that you win games and go up.”
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Carr added on the rivalry that has been struck up with Wrexham, as they battle to clamber up into the Championship, and why the subplot of famous faces off the pitch is beneficial to all concerned: “It’s good for the Football League. It brings bigger gates. Birmingham, the crowds they are getting in League One, there are teams in the Premier League that can’t match it. It’s not just the big games, they are getting the same crowds that we got in the Premier League against the lesser teams at that level, so it’s had a positive effect. With that you get bigger sponsors, you have more power, you are well respected and have big connections. It’s brilliant. It’s put Wrexham up there as well – Ryan Reynolds and all. It’s great for League One, brings a lot of spotlight that it wouldn’t have had before, so it’s great for all the teams.”